*([[TEL]]) [[telmā]] > ''[[telma]]'' "conclusion, last item in a structure"

+

*([[TEL]]) ''[[telmā]]'' > ''[[telma]]'' "conclusion, last item in a structure"

*([[TEÑ]]) ''[[téma]]'' "series"

*([[TEÑ]]) ''[[téma]]'' "series"

*([[TEK]]) [[tekmâ]] > ''[[tengwa]]'' "letter"

*([[TEK]]) [[tekmâ]] > ''[[tengwa]]'' "letter"

*([[TOL]]) ''[[tolma]]'' "protuberance"

*([[TOL]]) ''[[tolma]]'' "protuberance"

−

*([[TUY]]) [[tuimā]] > ''[[tuima]]'' "sprout, bud"

+

*([[TUY]]) ''[[tuimā]]'' > ''[[tuima]]'' "sprout, bud"

*(*TYEL) ''[[tyelma]]'' "ending"

*(*TYEL) ''[[tyelma]]'' "ending"

−

*(*[[TYUL|KYUL]]) [[kjulumā]] > ''[[tyulma]]'' "mast"

+

*(*[[TYUL|KYUL]]) ''[[kjulumā]]'' > ''[[tyulma]]'' "mast"

*([[WIL]]) ''[[wilma]]'' "air, lower air"

*([[WIL]]) ''[[wilma]]'' "air, lower air"

−

*([[YUL]]) [[julmā]] > ''[[yulma]]'' "cup"

+

*([[YUL]]) ''[[julmā]]'' > ''[[yulma]]'' "cup"

==Other possible examples==

==Other possible examples==

Revision as of 11:22, 23 June 2011

-ma is a Quenya nominal (concretizing) ending denoting a thing (usually object) having something to do with the root meaning; either having its properties or being produced by the verbal action in question; or even being a tool used to accomplish it.

In general, -ma seems to be stuck to naked roots or stems to produce the nouns. Eg. RIL > rilma "glittering light"; verb stems par- "to learn" > parma "book". However, full nouns can also be suffixed with -ma to produce another object: Eg. líco "wax" > lícuma "candle".

Etymology

In some phonological environments, -ma appears in allomorphs in later Quenya: Nouns in -wa or -ba might conceal a primitive -mâ. For example PQ labmâ > Q lamba (metathesis of bm to mb) or PQ takmâ > Q tangwa (nasalization and strengthening of k before m and velarization of m).[2]

It is obviously related to similar endings like -mo (which indicates a person or doer) or -me (which form a more abstract noun) which behave and operate similarly. For example alma "wealth" vs alme "blessing", carma "tool" vs carme "art".

Examples

A list of most known Quenya nouns that include the suffix -ma, along with the words' root, and Primitive Quendian origins where they are known.

Other possible examples

Some Quenya nouns might end in -ma however that does not indicate the suffixing of the ending -ma proper. For example, the word ráma derives from a root RAM[3]. Therefore it is not analyzed as **rá-ma but as rám-a.

There are other nouns of such ambiguous etymology, as for example lamma "sound" from root LAM. It could be analyzed as LAM + -ma but also the double mm might simply be the result of antoryame (q.v.) of the radical consonant LAM.